Trouser waistband construction



Sept. 13, 1966 c. R. MALLl-:TT

THOUSER WAISTBAND CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 21, 1964 United States Patent C) M 3,271,782 TROUSER WAISTBAND CONSTRUCTION Charles R. Mallett, Box 483, Raceland, La. Filed Jan. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 339,305 Cltaims. (Cl. 2-236) This invention generally relates to novel trousers construction. More particularly, this invention relates to the manner of construction adjacent the waistband area of trousers so that the trousers can be worn with or without a belt at the owners option.

There are two general styles of pants worn by boys and young men these days. The rst style is generally known as Ivy-League trousers and such trousers contain a plurality of exposed belt loops positioned around the outside of the waistband that are adapted to receive a belt. The other styl'e of trousers, usually referred to as Continental trousers, do not have any exposed belt loops and are worn without a belt.

The popularity of both of these different stylesA of trousers usually means that a -retailer muststock both styles in each of the various waiste sizes and lengths. In effect then, many retailers can only stock about half the variety of colors and patterns that they would like to because they must duplicate every pattern and color in the two different styles. The end result is that in an effort to increase sales by satisfying all of customers tastes as to pants with belt loops or without loops, the retailer may also lose sales because he does not have a sufficient variety of colors or patterns.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to overcome these disadvantages .to retailers by providing retailers with trousers which can be readily modiiied so that the trousers can function as either Continental style trousers or Ivy-League style trousers, or in other words so that the trousers can be worn with a belt or without a belt. Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent after reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings.

Considered from one aspect, the present invention relates to trousers that can be used with or without a belt and comprising in combination:

(a) A waist band section around the uppermost portion of said trousers,

(b) said waist `band section being defined by at least two layers of material,

(c) Said two layers of material being joined together substantially continuously along upper and lower circumferential lines that are vertically spaced apart,

(d) Said two layers forming a space therebetween having a substantial vertical height,

(e) A plurality of narrow elongated belt loops disposed around the top of said trousers,

(f) One end of each belt loop being attached to spaced apart upper interior portion of said trousers,

(g)` The other end of each belt loop not being permanently `connected to anything and being movable from the interior to the exterior of the trousers,

(h) Said other end of each belt loop containing means for temporarily engaging itself with said waistband section.

The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the Iattached drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a partial perspective View of some trousers provided with belt loops in accordance with this invention;

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary cross-sectional views of the upper portion of a pair of trousers constructed in accordance with this invention which show the manner in which a belt loop can be sequentially manipulated;

3,271,782 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 ice FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary View illustrating an a1- ternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, belt loops BL are shown in three different positions and these positions generally correspond to the cross-sectional illustrative views of FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The waistband section WB can be constructed in a wide variety of ways, as will be understood by those in the garment industry. A very simplied form of waistband is indicated in FIGURE 2 and is seen to merely consist of two layers of material (10 and 12), both of which can merely comprise an upper extension of the lower trouser material 14,. Layer 12 is folded over and its lower edge sewed to layer 10 by threads 16.

As can perhaps best be seen in FIGURE 1, although the two layers of material (e.g. 10 and 12 in FIGURE 2) can be formed from the same sheet of material, these two layers could just as well be formed from two or more separate sheets of material that were sewed together.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2 the two layers 1t) and 12 are joined together substantially continuously along two circumferential lines that are vertically spaced apart. More specifically, the upper portions of layers 1) and 12 are joined together along a circumferential line by virtue of the fact that these layers are part of the same sheet of material and the fold F actually forms the upper circumferential line. The lower portions of layers 1t) and 12 are shown as being joined together along a circumferential line by means of threads 16 (or other suitable types of fasteners). It will be appreciated that the aforementioned upper and lower circumferential lines are not actually ras squared off as is shown in FIGURE 2, since this figure has been prepared only with the intention of most clearly illustrating the basic construction involved in this invention.

It will be noted that the upper and lower circumferential lines formed by layers 10 and 12 are vertically spaced apart, and this vertical spacing forms a space 18 between the layers 10 and 12.

A plurality of narrow elongated belt loops BL `are disposed around the top of the trousers. One end 20 of each belt loop is attached to spaced apart upper interior portions of said trousers (c g. the interior of the waistband). The exact point of attachment on the interior of the trousers is not critical, although a preferred point is approximately on a level with the lower circumferential line juncture of said layers 10 and 12.

The Iother end of each belt loop is not permanently attached to any portion of the trousers and the wearer is therefore free to move the belt loop from the interior hanging position shown in FIGURE 2 to the exterior looped position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The end of each belt loop that is not permanently attached to any portion of the trousers is provided with means for facilitating engagement with the waistband portion of the trousers. This engaging means may take a number of different forms. First of all, the lower portion (LP) of the belt loop can be made to be relatively stiif or rigid (as by insertion of a celluloid or plastic stiifening member 22). When this is done, the stiifened lower portion (LP) of the belt loop can be readily inserted through an opening (eg. 24) adjacent the said lower circumferential line of layers 10 and 12 so that the stitfened lower portion (LP) of the belt loop will be housed within the space 18 between layers 10 and 12 (as is most clearly shown in FIGURE 4). When the lower portion of the belt loop is housed in this manner it forms a very satisfactory loop area (LA) for receiving a belt and normal use of the trousers and belt will not allow 3 the said stiffened lower portion to disengage itself fr-om the space 18. However, whenever the wearer so desires, he can by manual manipulation easily withdraw the stiffened portion LP from the space IS and the belt loop can be returned to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Instead of having a separate cut opening to receive the lower (stiff) end of the belt loop (such as opening 24 in FIGURES 2-4) the stitching of the threads 16 around the aforesaid lower circumferential edge can be interrupted at intervals so that an opening or slit is formed. A slit of this sor-t may be preferable to actually cutting a hole through a portion of the waistband material and a slit will not open readily during the course of wear because when pressure is applied to the waistband when worn, the slit will actually tend to close rather than open. A `slit S formed by interrupted stit-ching 16 is illustrated in FIG- URE 6. (The belt loop is not shown in this figure.)

The engaging means on the end of the belt loop that is not permanently attached to any portion of the trousers may also comprise a snap-type fastener that is adapted to engage a suitable cooperating snap fastener means on a portion of the exterior side of the trousers. This ernbodiment is illustrated in FIGURE 5, wherein the lower end of the belt `loop BL is provided with a snap or fastener SF that is designed to engage a corresponding snap or fastener on the outer underside edge of the waistband WL. As shown, this snap fastener arrangement will be completely out of sight and anyone viewing this arrangement would not realize that the loop was not of a permanent nature. However, when unfastened, the snap fastener arrangement shown in FIGURE 5 would take the same position as the belt loop shown in FIGURE 2.

It is thus seen that the present invention permits one to use trousers either with a belt or without a belt, or `to change back and forth between these two choices with a minimum of difliculty and without sacrificing anything insofar as the `appearance of the trousers is concerned. This invention enables clothing stores to avoid the necessity of carrying larger stocks merely in order to satisfy rliifering customer tastes for belt loops.

This invention is of course also applicable to womens slacks, or boys short pants, or Bermuda shorts or on any garment where `a belt might be preferred by some purchasers and not by others.

In conclusion, while there has been illustrated and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that since the 'various details of construction may obviously be varied considerably without really departing from the basic principles and teachings of this invention, I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is specifically reserved to encompass all 4changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.

What is claimed is:

ll. Trousers that can be used with or without a belt comprising in combination:

(a) a waistband section around the uppermost portion of `said trousers,

(b) said waistband section being defined by at least two layers of material,

(c) said two layers of material being joined together 4l along upper and lower circumferential lines that are vertically spaced apart,

(d) said two layers forming a space therebetween having a substantial vertical height,

(e) a plurality of openings located at spaced intervals adjacent said lower `circumferential line which provides access from the exterior of said trousers into said space,

(f) a plurality of narrow elongated belt loops disposed aro-und the top of said trousers,

(g) the inner end of each belt loop being attached to spaced apart points interior of said openings around the upper interior portion of said trousers,

(h) the outer end of each belt loop being loose and being movable from the interior side to the exterior side of the trousers,

(i) said outer end of each belt `loop having sufficient length and rigidity .so that it can be inserted through one of said openings into said space.

2. Trousers according to claim 1 wherein said outer end of each belt contains a stifening member.

3. Trousers according to claim 2 wherein said stiffening member comprises Celluloid.

4. Trousers according to claim 2 wherein said stiifening member comprises semi-rigid plastic material.

5. Trousers that can be used with or without a belt comprising in combination:

(a) a waistband section secured to the uppermost portion of said trousers,

(b) .said waistband section being defined by at least two layers of material,

(c) said two layers of material being joined together substantially continuously along upper and lower circumferential lines that are vertically spaced apart, the outermost of said two layers extending downrwardly below said 4lower circumferential line,

(d) a plurality of fastener means attached around the outermost of said two layers at spaced intervals, on the concealed lower underside that extends downwardly below said lower circumferential line,

(e) a plurality of narrow elongated belt loops disposed around the top of said trousers,

(f) the inner end of each belt loop being attached to spaced apart points along the upper interior portion of said trousers so that each loop is in alignment with one of the aforesaid fastener means,

(g) the outer end of each belt loop being loose and being movable from the interior side to the exterior side of the trousers,

(h) the outer end of each belt loop containing a cooperating snap fastener that is adapted to engage the aforesaid fastener means that are attached to the waistband section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 403,220 5/ 1889 Sanders 2-271 X 1,196,224 8/1916 Fleming 2-236 2,264,972 12/ 1941 Greenberg 2-271 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT V. SLOAN, Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. TROUSERS THAT CAN BE USED WITH OR WITHOUT A BELT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A WAISTBAND SECTION AROUND THE UPPERMOST PORITON OF SAID TROUSERS, (B) SAID WAISTBAND SECTION BEING DEFINED BY AT LEAST TWO LAYERS OF MATERIAL, (C) SAID TWO LAYERS OF MATERIAL BEING JOINED TOGETHER ALONG UPPER AND LOWER CIRCUMFERENTIAL LINES THAT ARE VERTICALLY SPACED APART, (D) SAID TWO LAYERS FORMING A SPACE THEREBETWEEN HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL VERTICAL HEIGHT, (E) A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS LOCATED AT SPACED INTERVALS ADJACENT SAID LOWER CIRCUMFERENTIAL LINE WHICH PROVIDES ACCESS FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TROUSERS INTO SAID SPACE, (F) A PLURALITY OF NARROW ELONGATED BELT LOOPS DISPOSED AROUND THE TOP OF SAID TROUSERS, (G) THE INNER END OF EACH BELT LOOP BEING ATTACHED TO SPACED APART POINTS INTERIOR OF SAID OPENINGS AROUND THE UPPER INTERIOR PORTION OF SAID TROUSERS, (H) THE OUTER END OF EACH BELT LOOP BEING LOOSE AND BEING MOVABLE FROM THE INTERIOR SIDE TO THE EXTERIOR SIDE OF THE TROUSERS, (I) SAID OUTER END OF EACH BELT LOOP HAVING SUFFICIENT LENGTH AND RIGIDLY SO THAT IT CAN BE INSERTED THROUGH ONE OF SAID OPENINGS INTO THE SPACE. 